How to make French Macarons at home

French macarons are delicate, colorful, and delicious treats that can be a challenge to perfect. However, with the right techniques and ingredients, you can create the best French macarons right in your own kitchen.

Choosing the Right Ingredients

The key to making perfect French macarons is using high-quality ingredients. Make sure to use almond flour, not almond meal, as it is finely ground and will give your macarons a smooth texture. Use aged egg whites, as they will create a more stable meringue. Always sift your powdered sugar and almond flour to ensure a smooth batter.

Mastering the 'Macaronage' Technique

'Macaronage' is the process of folding the dry ingredients into the meringue to create the perfect macaron batter. Be gentle but thorough when folding to achieve the right consistency - they say that the  batter should flow like lava. What this means is that if you hold your spatula up and pour the batter into the bowl it should flow slowly and fold over rather that break. If it breaks, you need to fold some more. Overmixing or undermixing can result in cracked or hollow macarons. 

Perfecting the Piping Technique

Invest in a good piping bag and tip to ensure consistent macaron sizes. Pipe the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between each macaron for spreading. Tap the baking sheet on the counter to release any air bubbles and create smooth tops. Allow your macarons to rest at room temperature for about 30 - 45 minutes, until they surface forms a skin. 

Mastering the Baking Process

Preheat your oven and bake the macarons at a low temperature to prevent browning. Let the macarons cool completely before trying to remove them from the parchment paper. This will help prevent sticking and ensure a perfect shape.

Recipe

60 grams Almond flour

60 grams Icing Sugar

50 grams egg white

50 grams fine granulated Sugar.

pinch of Salt

Colour mill Acqua blend in colour of your choice

Pre heat oven to 330 degrees F

Prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. If you prefer using a template, using a marker draw 2 inch circles (with spaces between them) on the paper and flip it over.

Sift Almond flour and discard any larger particles and remnants from your sieve. Measure the required quantity of almond flour.

In a sieve, sift together the pre sifted almond flour with icing sugar to blend evenly.

Repeat 2 times.

In a very clean steel bowl whip egg whites on medium speed. We pre wiped our mixing bowl and utensils with vinegar to ensure they are grease free.

After 60 seconds on beating add in a third of the granulated Sugar and a pinch of salt.

Continue to beat on high speed for 60 seconds and add in another third of the granulated Sugar.

Beat on high speed add in the remaining third of granulated Sugar.

Add a drop of Colour mill Acqua blend in colour of your choice

Beat on high speed and stop as soon as your egg whites have formed stiff peaks. If you invert the bowl the whipped egg whites should stay put and a whisk dipped in the meringue and retrieved, should have a peak at about 11 O'clock. 

Add one third of the almond flour and icing sugar mixture, fold and to loosely mix and then add in each other third in 2 batches.

Using your rubber spatula spread the mixture along the side of the bowl and then slide your spatula under it, along the sides of the bowl to gather the mixture into the centre of the bowl. Repeat for a total of 7 times. Check the consistency of the batter to ensure it is flowing smoothly 'like lava' as described earlier. Consistency is key and will help avoid lots of problems when done correctly.

Experimenting with Flavors and Fillings

Once you have mastered the basic French macaron recipe, feel free to experiment with different flavors and fillings. From classic chocolate ganache to fruity jams, the possibilities are endless. Get creative and have fun with your macaron creations!